Author: France 24

This week’s massive power outage in Spain and Portugal has raised questions over whether Europe’s power grid is ready for a surge in demand, given the rapid pace of data centre deployment amid the rise of artificial intelligence. We take a closer look in this edition of Tech 24.

Israel bombed an area near the presidential palace in Damascus early on Friday in its clearest signal yet of hostility toward the Islamist-led Syrian authorities and a preparedness to ramp up military action in the name of Syria’s Druze minority. Analysis by FRANCE 24 Foreign Affairs Commentator, Douglas Herbert.

Award-winning British writer RJ Ellory tells us about his new novel, “The Bell Tower”, which has been translated as “Everglades” in French, and why he chooses to set many of his storylines in the United States. We also discuss the golden age of cinema, the great “Noir” authors and talk about a philosophical question at the heart of his book, which deals with the use of the death penalty for convicted criminals.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, aged 17, became the youngest player to score in a Champions League semi-final in a 3-3 clash with Inter Milan on Wednesday. Both managers praised his brilliance in a game full of drama and attacking flair.

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 1: The Spanish papers continue to wonder what – or who – was responsible for the Great Blackout that plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness this week. Is renewable energy to blame? Also: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr alarms medical experts over his plans to impose placebo testing of vaccines. Plus: Steven Spielberg reveals what he thinks is the greatest film of all time.

Tesla chair Robyn Denholm has denied a Wall Street Journal report that the board had started looking for a new CEO to replace Elon Musk. It comes as Musk is stepping back from his job running DOGE this month. Meanwhile, more than 250 Labour Day demonstrations have been taking place around France. And, McDonald’s has suffered its biggest drop in US sales since Covid.

At least 73 people have been killed in two days of sectarian clashes in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a spiritual leader of the Druze community, has condemned what he calls a “genocidal campaign” against his people.

In this edition of arts24, we explore a major retrospective in Paris dedicated to legendary French photographer Robert Doisneau, best known for his iconic image “Le Baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville” (“The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville”). The exhibition celebrates his poetic vision and timeless moments captured on film.

PSG secured a 1-0 victory at Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, thanks to Ousmane Dembélé’s early goal.

UN aid agencies warn of deep service cuts as US funding plummets under President Donald Trump. His administration has slashed 83% of programs funded by USAID, which had a $42.8 billion annual budget—42% of all global humanitarian aid. As vital operations for millions of people worldwide is severely scaled back, FRANCE 24’s Delano D’Souza welcomes Avril Benoît, Chief Executive Officer of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the US. Prior to joining MSF, Ms. Benoît had a “distinguished 20-year career” with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as an award-winning broadcast journalist, documentary producer and international correspondent. Her work with the CBC took her to…